K A R ACH I: An antiterrorism court on We dnes day issue d a notice to the prosecutor on an application seeking transfer of a case pertaining to the murder of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf leader Zahra Shahid to a sessions court.

The application was moved by suspect Mohammad Rashid alias Master through his counsel under Section 23 (power to transfer cases to regular courts) of Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997 and contended that the court had no jurisdiction to conduct trial since the offence did not fall within the ambit of AntiTerrorism Act, 1997.

Rashid and Zahid Abbas Zaidi along with their absconding accomplices have been booked for allegedly killing the PTI senior leader on May 18 last year before polling day on the entrance to her bungalow in Defence Housing Authority.

Judge Saleem Raza Baloch of the ATC-III issued the notice to the special public prosecutor on the application for Jan 9.

A case was registered under Sections 302 (premeditated murder) and 34 (common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code read with Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997 at the Gizri police station.

Life term An anti-narcotics court on Wednesday sentenced a drug trafficker to life imprisonment.

Karman was found guilty of attempting to smuggle 23 kilograms of heroin powder to Malaysia by concealing it in a consignment of furniture in April 2013.

Judge of the Special Court-II for Control of Narcotic Substances Sanaullah Khan Ghoury, who conducted the trial, also imposed a fine of Rs1 million on the convict. In case of non-payment, he will have to undergo an additional five years imprisonment according to the ruling.

The court observed that two material witnesses of prosecution fully supported the case about the recovery of heroin from the container while other witnesses categorically deposed that the shipment belonged to the accused.

It ruled that witnesses were subjected to lengthy crossexamination but their evidence remained unshaken on material points.

According to the prosecution, the anti-narcotics force (ANF) acting on a tip off checked a container at the port and found heroin powder in it.

The ANF arrested Iqbal Siddiqui and later also took Mohammad Naveed in custody. However, the investigating officer did not send them for trial for want of evidence and charge sheeted Karman and Mohammad Arif, who were on pre-arrest ball, it added.

Later, Kamran was sent to prison following the dismissal of his bail while Arif did not turn up after getting ball.

A case was registered under Section 9-C of the Control of Narcotic Substances Act, 1997 at ANF police station. The court issued life warrant against the absconding accused Arif.

`Fake lawyer` held A member of the Karachi Bar Association along with other lawyers caught a man pleading a case before a court without a practising licence, police said.

The suspect, Malik Shahid Hussain, was handed over to the court police and a case was lodged against him under Section 419 (cheating by personation) and 420 (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property) of the PPC on a complaint of the KBA.